What about the possibility of an ACC TV network? Where do those talks stand right now?

JS: We’re having that conversation. We’re looking at it in a very strategic way to see if it is feasible and is the best route for us to go moving forward. We’re all in with ESPN in our contractual agreements. We’re having discussions on those moving forward with Notre Dame as a part of that, and then Louisville becoming a member of the league. We’re looking at the current structure, as well as the possibility of a channel. And those discussions all involve ESPN. The good news is that in terms of distribution, when you’re with ESPN and their commitment to the new technology that’s there and the ability to show content anywhere, anytime, anyplace, basically, as we look forward from a distribution standpoint, we’re in great shape. From a financial standpoint, we’re by far better off than we’ve ever been before as a league -- quite competitive, generally speaking, with other leagues at our level. We’re analyzing that with the help of Wasserman and ESPN. That will take a period of time to thoroughly evaluate and see what the possibilities are and if it’s in our best interest to go that route or not.

What about the possibility of an ACC TV network? Where do those talks stand right now?

JS: We’re having that conversation. We’re looking at it in a very strategic way to see if it is feasible and is the best route for us to go moving forward. We’re all in with ESPN in our contractual agreements. We’re having discussions on those moving forward with Notre Dame as a part of that, and then Louisville becoming a member of the league. We’re looking at the current structure, as well as the possibility of a channel. And those discussions all involve ESPN. The good news is that in terms of distribution, when you’re with ESPN and their commitment to the new technology that’s there and the ability to show content anywhere, anytime, anyplace, basically, as we look forward from a distribution standpoint, we’re in great shape. From a financial standpoint, we’re by far better off than we’ve ever been before as a league -- quite competitive, generally speaking, with other leagues at our level. We’re analyzing that with the help of Wasserman and ESPN. That will take a period of time to thoroughly evaluate and see what the possibilities are and if it’s in our best interest to go that route or not.

First, this isn't news. It's what I've (and others) have been saying regarding the all-in nature of the low-ball ESPN deal. Where it really hurts us is that ESPN isn't going to explore an ACC channel (even if it helps us and them) if it has ANY negative impact on what they are hoping to do for the SEC. Essentially, ESPN has very little motivation to help us out (other than the risk that we go the way of the NNBE).

Second, I thought the first part of the interview was more enlightening:

Onto the topic of Maryland. Where does that lawsuit currently stand, and when do you expect a resolution with that? JS: Well, I wouldn’t give any predictions on that. It’s a legal matter our legal team will be handling. Certainly we continue to wish Maryland the best as they make their transition to the Big Ten. Simply put, there’s an expectation from our league and our council of presidents that the obligation of leaving is appropriately fulfilled.

Is it even more important that that obligation is fulfilled, considering the Big 12 hasn’t ruled out expansion? JS: I don’t really see any direct correlation there.

Is it important to send a message to other schools that you can’t get away with this, considering other conferences are still exploring the option of adding more teams? JS: First of all, I don’t think there’s anyone who has any interest in leaving. I think we’re sprinting into the future with 14 schools that are very committed to each other. We don’t really relate this to any other conference, really. It’s really about the obligation of membership in the league.

What can you tell me about the reports that have surfaced about talks of an ACC-Big 12 alliance? JS: It’s very preliminary. We had some discussions at our recent meetings, regularly scheduled winter meetings. Bob Bowlsby and I have had some discussions. We’ve had some discussions with some other conferences, too, about getting scheduling alliances, bowls in general, any kind of collaboration with other conferences that’s good for both conferences, I think in today’s world, could potentially be very positive. We’ll look into that with a subcommittee that will take a look and have some discussions in terms of what that might mean for the future and whether it can be beneficial to our conference as well as any other conference we would talk with about that. It’s early in discussions, but we want to thoroughly explore any and all possibilities that are out there in regards to that, that would prove to be mutually beneficial.